Gwen Garcia to present 46 witnesses in graft trial

Suspended Cebu Gov Gwen Garcia CDN PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — At least 46 witnesses will be presented by the lawyers of suspended Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia for her defense in the criminal charges she is facing before the Sandiganbayan.

A pre-trial brief submitted by her counsel to the anti-graft court’s Second Division showed Garcia herself would be the first defense witness, and the list included acting Governor Agnes Magpale.

Magpale was identified as a member of the Balili Properties Review Committee back when she was a member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP).

Garcia was indicted on two counts of graft and one malversation charge in connection with the alleged irregular purchase of the 24.92-hectare property known as the Balili Estate for P98.93 million in 2008.

Defense lawyers Tranquil Salvador III, Victorina Calma, Jomini Nazareno and Roland Glenn Tuazon said they would summon the other committee members to the witness stand.

They include former National Bureau of Investigation-Region 7 director Medardo de Lemos; SP member Peter John Calderon, former SP member Victor Maambong, former Provincial Engineer Aldofo Quiroga and lawyers Rory John Sepulveda and Manolette Dinsay.

Likewise named were 12 other former and incumbent members of the Provincial Board and all of Garcia’s co-accused in the alleged conspiracy in binding the provincial government in a “grossly disadvantageous transaction, causing it undue injury and unlawfully diverting P49,849,200 from the province’s Social Services fund allocations to partly pay for the land acquisition.

Meanwhile in the court’s Third Division, the Office of the Ombudsman sought the denial of the motion for re-investigation of Cebu Provincial Board member Victor Maambong in connection with the graft charges against him.

In a 10- page manifestation, the prosecution also asked the court to sustain the findings of probable cause in his case.

Maambong and other former Cebu provincial officials, including former Vice Governor John Osmeña Jr were charged with graft  over the alleged anomalous release of P5 million to a fictitious foundation in 2002.

But the Sandiganbayan dismissed the graft charges filed against former Osmeña Jr. for lack of evidence, noting that he was framed up.

The case stemmed from the complaint of the Office of the Ombudsman in Visayas that Osmeña approved the release of money to Perdido Lex, despite it being non-existent.